Bring a piece of the prehistoric home with triops, peculiar creatures with an otherworldly visage and remarkable biology. Surely I can’t be the only one who fell for the deceptive advertising campaign? I can vividly remember being a wee boy staring at an ad in a comic book showing what had to be the coolest pet animals ever—they were pink monkey mermaid people with big, happy faces. There were even mommy and daddy monkey mermaids cuddling their two monkey mermaid kids. The ad had bold captions, such as “own a bowl-full of happiness” and “millions thrilled beyond words.” Who could resist buying them? My Experience I was just like the plethora of other children, and their respective... Read more»

Our fervent traveler visits a remote, mountainous region in China to collect its precious and exclusive treasure, the panda loach. The giant pandas are natural treasures that hail from the emerald forests of China. A gem of a fish that shares the same name also comes from this vast and legendary land: the panda loach Protomyzon pachychilus.This species has only recently been imported for the aquarium trade. The striking, velvety black bands and snow-white body of young P. pachychilus resemble the iconic coloration and patterning of China’s beloved giant panda. Natural Habitat We took a rocking, rolling 10-hour ride through the night on an unlicensed bus to reach the location of P. pachychilus.... Read more»

The Mediterranean is a vast wonder with enormous biodiversity, but one innovative Italian aquarist keeps a relatively tiny setup showcasing some of its more miniscule life forms. Thirty years ago, despite aquarium keeping being a booming discipline, most aquarium shops stocked only fairly small tanks. Over time, as larger tanks allowed for the keeping of many more types of fish, small aquariums were pretty much relegated to the world of toys, and respect was only given to tanks 30 gallons and up. I wonder, however, if establishing the minimum size for an environment whose purpose is to host not-yet-defined guests makes any sense. A 2½-gallon aquarium is large for a couple of Mediterranean shrimp... Read more»